This invention relates to new and useful improvements in arrow rests for archery bows.
Archers use accessory-type arrow rests attached to archery bows to increase the accuracy of their shots. Arrow rests can provide supports to steady the arrow when the arrow is drawn through the bow. These supports can form a cradle for the arrow to rest upon. It is, however, desirable that the arrow rest not interfere with the flight of the arrow as this interference can affect the accuracy of a shot.
When an arrow is launched from a bow, large driving forces are placed on the arrow by the bowstring, causing the arrow shaft to deflect. This deflection can be in a lateral direction, a vertical direction, or a combination of both. Supports of an arrow rest that cannot adequately accommodate for these deflections may interfere with the arrow""s flight. In other words, the support may not be able to adequately yield to the forces exerted on it by the deflections of the arrow. Instead, by not yielding, the support may exert its own force on the arrow, pushing the arrow off its course. Interference can also result if the arrow rest is not designed to allow the arrow""s tail feathers or vanes to freely pass through the arrow rest. Such interference can also throw the arrow off course and/or damage the arrow""s feathers or vanes. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the mechanisms to prevent these interferences do not themselves place undesirable forces upon the arrow.
The arrow rest may possess other desirable characteristics. For example, the arrow rest should work quietly. Any noise from using the arrow rest, such as when the arrow is being drawn across the supports, might warn the target of the hunter""s presence and cause it to flee before the hunter is prepared to shoot. The arrow rest should also create minimal frictional drag on the arrow, as this may slow down the arrow and interfere with shooting accuracy. It is further desirable that the arrow rest be economical to manufacture and durable through the rigors of hunting.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention relates to an arrow rest designed to possess the desirable characteristics of an arrow rest and eliminate, or substantially alleviate, the disadvantages of arrow rests known in the prior art.
In one general aspect, the invention includes a base and a pair of opposing arrow-supporting arms pivotally coupled to the base. The arms may move independently of each other to yield to forces exerted upon the arms by an arrow in flight. In this manner, the arrow rest would not interfere with the normal flight of the arrow. Additionally or alternatively, the arms may move in a motion wherein the arms move away from and towards the center of the arrow rest. The motion may be in a generally horizontal direction with respect to the base. In other embodiments, the motion may be in a generally vertical direction with respect to the base.
In some embodiments, the arrow rest may include an elastically compliant, resilient member coupled to the arms for biasing the arms to a home position. The home position may be defined by a stop coupled to, or otherwise integrally formed with, the base.
In some embodiments, a wheel may be coupled to a distal end of each arm. The wheels may form a cradle upon which one can rest and steady an arrow to be shot from a bow. The wheels may also provide some traction for the arrow, for example by an O-ring placed around the periphery of the wheel. In other embodiments, the arms may terminate in prongs that form a cradle.
In still other embodiments, the wheels may be coupled to the arms by an adjustment device. The adjustment device can be used to vary the spacing between the arrow rest wheels to accommodate arrow shafts of varying sizes.
In one aspect of the invention, an arrow rest may include a base; a pair of arrow-supporting arms pivotally coupled to the base; a pair of wheels, each wheel coupled to a distal end of the arms; a stop coupled to the base defining a home position for the arms; and an elastically compliant, resilient member coupled to each arm for biasing the arms to the home position.
These and other objects, along with advantages and features of the present invention herein disclosed, will become apparent to those skilled in the art through reference to the following description of various embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.